FDA’s Imperiled Funding Threatens Drug Approval Revamp, Staffing

An impasse among congressional leaders on industry fees to the FDA could force the agency to let go of thousands of employees and lose out on changes to its fast-track drug pathway, former officials and policy watchers warn.

Legislation reauthorizing the user fees that help fund the Food and Drug Administration came into question last week when Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), ranking member of the Senate health committee, seemingly walked away from months of negotiations. The deadline to reauthorize the fees is Sept. 30.

Burr introduced his own, stripped-down legislation that omits several additions from the version (S. 4348 ...